Automatic bottle-fastener



T. B. HOWE.

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No. 394,490. Patented Dec. 11, 1888.

N. PETERS Plwu Li mm m mmmmmmmmmmmm (L UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS B. HOXVE, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC BOTTLE-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,490, dated December 11, 1888.

Application filed August 1'7, 1888. Serial No. 283,019. (ModcL) To all whom it 17mg concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS B. HOWE, of Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Bottle-Fasteners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

The present invention is designed to obviate certain defects in the construction and operation of bottle-stopper fasteners, particularly such as are adapted to have the stopper connected thereto at all times to prevent the same being lost, and so as to swing out of the way when it is desired to empty the contents of the bottle; and the invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts to be hereinafter described, and pointed out particularly in the claims at the en d of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the top of a milk-bottle having my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same. Fig. 3 represents the invention as applied to a beer-bottle. Fig. -i is a view showing the stopper represented in 3 thrown back away from the mouth of the bottle. Fig. 5 represents a modification as applied to fruit-jars.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.

The top or neck part of the bottle or jar A is formed with the usual enlarged portion, the lower portion of which is formed straight and at substantially right angles to the vertical plane of the bottle, making an abrupt ledge or projection, a, beneath which the neck-wire B lies, the ends of the latter being united in any preferred or well-known manner. Connected to this neck-wire at one side of the bottle is the bail or cover fastening wire 0, preferably formed of a single piece of wire pivotally connected to the neck-wire at both ends, but at points slightly removed from each other, as shown in Fig. 2, the proper position of the ends being maintained by the notches b in the bottle or by bending the neck-wire and forming eyes or loops therein in any wellknown manner. At the front the bail C is carried downward, the two sections of the wire diverging from each other until a point is reached at or slightly below the level of the shoulder a, where the straight section a is formed, which passes beneath the shoulder and retains the bail in position, constituting a most efficient catch or lock. For the purpose of engaging or disengaging this catch, a thumb-piece or loop is formed at or near the center of the straight section a by bending the wire outward into a suitable curve and back again without twisting, so as to afford a greater amount of spring and elasticity.

At the point where the bail passes over the cover E the two portions are bent somewhat downward and are brought close together, both passing through a clip or other retaining device, F, soldered or otherwise fastened to the central part of the cover. This, it will be seen, permits the cover to have a limited swinging movement. independent of the bail to enable it to adapt itself to the mouth of the bottle or jar, and at the same time it cannot swing so far as to get out of the proper position for closing, any such extreme movement being prevented by its contact with the separated portionsof the bail at the points where they bend to pass down at the sides of the bottle-top.

'hen applied to beer-bottles the two portions of the bail are preferably passed through perforations in the upper portion of the stopper or cover, which perforations are quite near together, the ends of the bail being cut off some distance above the shoulder a, and the eyes for the reception of the neck-wire formed at this point. The neck-wire, in order to engage these eyes, is formed into a bail or upward extension at one side in any preferred manner, the object being to cause the more ready clearance of the stopper, which passes some distance down inside the bottle-mouth.

The stopper employed in connection with this invention is preferably formed of hard wood,with a packing or gasket of soft rubber interposed between it and the mouth of the bottle to prevent the escape of the contained liquid, and also to afford the necessary spring, as is usual in this class of stoppers.

If desired, of course the neck-wire of the bottle shown in Fig. 1 maybe bent upward at the points where the bail is connected thereto; but such construction is usually not found necessary with this class of flat metal covers, which readily clear from the mouth of the bottle, which latter are rarely intended to contain aerated liquids.

The bail when applied to beer-bottles is also preferably provided with two thumbpieces, one at each side, as shown in Fig. 3, for the purpose of affording more spring, and also to enable the person opening the bottle to place the thumbs of both hands against the bail to assist in throwing the stopper open, as will be readily understood.

It is obvious that the invention is susceptible of numerous modifications. Forinstance, the bail need not be connected to the cover or stopper at all, thus adapting it for application to fruit-jars, as shown in Fig. 5, wherein the central part of the bail which bears on the cover is retained close together, so as to bear only at the center of the cover, by a spool, S, such as is shown in my prior patent, No. 370,394, dated September 27, 1887.

From this description it will be seen that I have produced a jar and bottle-fastener of simple and efficient design, having an inexpensive catch which securely holds the cover locked at all times, and which may be readily and easily unfastened to remove the contents of the receptacle.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. In a bottle-stopper fastening, the combination, with the bottle-neck having the abrupt shoulder, the neck-wire beneath the same, and the cover, of the bail formed of springwire secured to the OOVQ1,l121,VlHgltS two ends on one side the cover spread apart and pivotally connected to the neck-wire at separate points to afford a double bearing and formed into acatch on the other side of the cover hav ing the downwardly-extending diverging portions and the horizontal connecting portion engaging with the abrupt shoulder on the neck, substantially described.

2. In a bottle-stopper fastening, the combination, with a bottle-neck having the abrupt shoulder, the neck-wire beneath the same, the upwardly-extending portion of said wire forming separated bearings at the top, and the cover, of the cover-carrying bail formed of spring-wire, having its two ends on one side the cover spread apart and pivotally connected to the separated bearings on the neckwire to afford a double bearing and formed into a catch on the other side, the stopper having the downwardl -QXt-Olldlllg diverging portions and the horizontal connecting portion for engaging the abrupt shoulder on the bottle-neck, substantially as described.

3. In a bottle-stopper fastening, the combination, with the neck-wire on the bottle, of

the bail pivoted thereto, formed of the single piece of wire doubled and engaging the cover at substantially the center, the two portions at each side of the center being separated to prevent the turning of the cover, substantially as described.

4. In a bottle-stopper fastening, the combination, with the neck-wire on the bottle, of the bail formed of the single piece of wire, both ends of which are pivotally connected to the neck-wire on one side and at points separated from each other, the doubled portion centrally engaging the cover, the straight portion forming the catch, and the thumb-piece formed on the catch, substantially as described.

5. In a bottle-stopper fastening, the combination, with the bottle-neck having the abrupt shoulder and the neck-wire beneath said shoulder, of the bail formed of the single piece of wire, both ends of which are pivotallyconnected to the neck-wire at points slightly separated from each other, the doubled portion drawn together and connected to the cover at the center, the diverging portion at the front, the straight portion forming the catch engaging the abrupt shoulder on the bottle, and the thumb-piece formed on such straight portion, substantially as described.

THOMAS E. HOWE.

\Vitnesses:

SAML. \VARNER, MARTIN R. KAYS. 

